Let’s focus on springing into Health this Spring. We are offering Nutrition Classes and Chocolate Making workshops to Bay Area communities. With an emphasis on NutriCation or Nutrition Education, I teach students about the health benefits of particular foods and Super Foods. An avid admirer of Michael Pollan’s Books, I give you,

Food Rule #45: Eat All the Junk Food You Want as Long as You Cook It Yourself

When you join us for classes or workshops, you learn how to make your own Chocolate Delights. The ingredients we use are far from Junk and the delicious taste makes you feel like you’re “cheating.”

With the big gift and eating Holidays behind us, A.D.D. Alternative Delectable Delights is getting ready for the Chocolate Giving Holiday known as, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day. From small “I Kinda Like You” 2 piece boxes, to the “I’m Madly In Love with You now stuff your face with this massive amount of Chocolate” 9-12 piece boxes. You are sure to find what you are looking for, with a Healthy twist. Now, giving chocolate never felt so Good. You and your loved one can share (or not) that Massive, ‘stuff your face’ box and not have to worry about the ill effects of processed sugar. If chocolate eating isn’t your bag, baby, try chocolate making. A.D.D. is also offering a Sweets making class for your Sweet. This is going to be one Delectable Valentine’s Day.

Let’s think about the foods/drinks that we will see at the table…. Do you have a food in mind?

Chocolate Cheesecake

Now, we all know 1 or 2 or 5 foods that we can avoid so that we are making healthier choices in our eating habits. If the food you pictured at the holiday table is in that “AVOID” category, you have a CHOICE. Healthy Living is not about deprivation. It’s about knowing what your body will thrive/deteriorate from and consuming the foods that we Need, rather than the ones we can do without. Many of us and our loved ones are a few bites away from Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc. If you know that what you eat can create illness and DIS-EASE in your body, know that ultimately what you consume is up to you. I encourage you to make a decision to err on the side of ‘healthier’, as often as possible. Can you have that piece of Chocolate Cheesecake?… Of course you can. Should you have that piece of chocolate cheesecake??? If you are a diabetic, suffer from any long term illness or disease, you should probably steer clear. Why? Because Sugar depletes the immune system, contributes to many illness, further deteriorating your health. Also, if you have to ask the question of “Should I?”, you pretty much already know the answer. Choose wisely and Eat wisely this holiday season. Better yet, make it yourself… the Healthier way. Want recipes full of Chocolatey Goodness? Click here or here.

Looking for Chocolate? Looking for A.D.D. You’ve come to the right place. As the month of October comes to an end, A.D.D. is being seen all over town. We are vending more and more these days. Tis the Season to eat Chocolate.

Chocolate as ART: We kicked off the month at First Friday, in Warehouse 416. Come out and enjoy this Art space and A.D.D. again this Friday 10/25 from 7p-9p

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Last week we were enjoying Music, art and Fabulous shoes while we vended at Sole Space on Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. Thanks to RAMA and the Go!Ohana event.

Food Day Pop-Up & Beer Garden is upon us and A.D.D. has been chosen to join a select few of the Kitchener Artisans. It’s all kicking off Sunday 10/27 from 3-7PM @ La Borinquena Mexi-catessen (582 7th Street, Oakland). Come out for Food, Folks, Fun, Beer and Chocolate.

Also, if you are Trick-o-Treating in my neighborhood, you’ll get some A.D.D. in yo’ goody bags…

Ever notice how you can’t help but smile when you see a Rainbow? Now imagine a Rainbow on your plate. Many chefs say we first begin to enjoy a meal visually, practically eating with our eyes. A rainbow of brightly colored, whole foods (not artificially colored) will naturally improve mood. In the converse, meals that are bland in color and flavor, browns, beiges and white, or off white, often do not leave us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

As a mental health counselor for over 10 years, I have seen overwhelming evidence that what we eat (or don’t eat) has significant effects on how we think, feel and act.

When we explore our thought processes, even food conscious adults may not be aware of what they need to add to their nutritional and emotional diets, in order to help them pay attention/focus. Many foods and super foods provide essential vitamins and minerals that allow our bodies and minds to focus throughout the day. There are also many “foods” that contribute to our lack of focus and help to distract us.

Foods that help us to focus by supplying us with energy, we like to call brain food and can be found in Fats and Carbohydrates. Some such foods are Walnuts, Olive Oil, Pumpkin seeds, Fish, Broccoli, Blueberries, Whole Grains and Tomatoes. Herbs like Sage, Basil, Rosemary and Lemon can be used internally or externally to support concentration, memory and focus. Super foods such as Chia seeds are a good addition to smoothies, water or salads to offer Omega-3 essential fatty acids to your diet.

Take notice to the foods listed above. A balance of carbohydrates and fats is essential… because, well, balance is essential. If we are not balanced, we tip over. Too often, the clients I work with are eating diets full of Simple Carbohydrates with little to No Complex Carbohydrates (found in fruits, veggies and whole grains) in their meals. Too many simple carbohydrates weigh us down, putting us off balance and tipping us to one side… The DOWN side. Especially when those carbs come Fried, saturated with Partially Hydrogenated oils, refined and artificial sweeteners and alcohol.

So, not only are too many unhealthy carbs depleting our ability to think, they can also make us feel sad or depressed. Typically, when we have increased our energy levels, we start to feel good. Looking at foods that help us to feel better, elevate our mood, and promote happiness, are Dark Chocolate (enhances endorphins), Foods rich in Vitamin D (egg yolks, cheese, fatty fish or a Day in the Sun), Beans, Nuts & seeds again, and lots of fruits and vegetables. It is particularly important to increase the consumption of Green Leafy vegetables -the food most often missing from the American diet. Some herbs that offer mood enhancement are Lavender, Rose, Ylang Ylang and Orange. Super foods such as Cashews have been found to elevate mood similar to the effects offered by Prozac.

Once we are feeling betting and thinking better, we will begin to act better. That’s just the way we work. The same holds true in reverse. When we start to feel and think poorly, we behave poorly.

In essence, when examining how we feel and think, we can explore what foods and nutrients we are consuming. Are we balanced? Are we eating the Rainbow? Are we drinking more Water than Alcohol? And what Super Foods can we add to help tip us in the right direction? All good questions… How will you answer?

As I sit down to enjoy the last of my Cancer Causing coffee (Starbucks – See Prop 65), and eat my fruit juice sweetened, Non GMO cereal, I can’t help but wonder… Does this Government shut down mean that I won’t get my Mail???

Can they do that? I mean, shut down the government? And all government agencies? Will the CIA and FBI be affected? How about NSA or Homeland Security? I mean, is the fact that Millions of people DESERVE health care no matter what their financial status (3rd world countries take better care of their citizens than we do), SOOOO outrageous that a government shutdown is in order? Not sure how long this Showdown… um, shutdown is going to last, or the full extent of the consequences that will be rendered, but I’m grateful that my delivery this Tuesday is arriving via UPS. What can Brown do for you?

I’m getting back in the swing of things and keeping up with my Blog. Forgive my absence.

I wanted to let everyone know that A.D.D. is now available for pickup or delivery in the Bay Area. We are SUPER excited to offer our Healthy Chocolate to those who want to indulge in their dessert without the Guilt, or hinderances to Health/Wellness that Processed Sugars offer. We are Vegan, Organic, Gluten Free, using Natural, UnRefined Sweeteners and Super Foods.

With the anticipation of selling my Chocolate on Good Eggs (next week), I am all nerves. Still exploring options to sell in stores and cafes of course. Also, I’m hoping to get into another farmers market or two. This whole experience of building a business is overwhelming, exciting, strange and unnerving.

I believe that October will be my MONTH to shine!!! Halloween baby!!

Looking forward to popping up at FIRST FRIDAY at Warehouse 416 (10/4), Total Woman Gym & Spa (10/5), Sole Space (10/?), just to name a few.

A.D.D. will be at Sole Space tomorrow night, selling chocolate, as you listen to live music at Sole Space. Try some new creations as the music makes you move and sway. Check out the Go!Ohana page on FB .
My weekends are filling up with Chocolate vending affairs. I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it. Come out and enjoy some chocolate, made the healthy way.

What’s up with MONEY??? I just had an epiphany this early AM. I have been having to pinch pennies and figure out how to spend what, when, so that I don’t run out of funds before my next check arrives, since I don’t have savings to draw from. And, I am just realizing that this is what my (EX) husband felt on a regular basis. This aching feeling that he has to save, and pinch and savor his pennies… and this is regardless of his thousands of dollars in savings, regularly paying City/County job and stock investments. He always lived as if there was no money to be had (except he would buy big ticket items at times, I suppose to feel like a part of society or “normal”). This is not a good feeling. It’s not healthy to hold onto thoughts of Loss or Not having, CONSTANTLY. If I had to feel this way all the time I would loose my mind.

He would attribute it to being Jewish, but I’m sure not ALL Jews feel this sense of longing, dread and loss, day in and day out. I have never had much money or made much money, but I’ve also never wanted much money or felt compelled to acquire much. I was content with what I had. I had jobs in the field that I Loved, knowing that there was not much money to be had (Mental Health). And now, as a small business owner, I am faced with the fact that some weeks there is a small profit and some weeks there is a loss. It is in this time of uncertainty that I feel a sense of dread, though I am relieved to know that I have a check coming or family/friends to offer assistance where they can. It’s not much, but it’s something to look forward to. And I wish that it was easier for others to have hope, not constant dread… ’cause that $#!+’s exhausting. IJS